focusinterview. with Samantha Wardman of CornerPost Marketing
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an you’re a true blue Coffs local. Tell us a little bit about your background and why you chose a career in dentistry? I was born and raised in Coffs Harbour; my parents moved here in 1966, when my father commenced work in a private practice as a dental surgeon. I went to St Augustine’s Primary School, which was across the road from Dad’s clinic. After school, it was pretty common for me to wait in the dental laboratory making things out of wax until he was finished work. I guess I didn’t know any different, so it all started from a young age. My tertiary education was at RMIT University in Melbourne, where I graduated as a dental technician, as well as gaining a degree in health science. Subsequently, I attended the Sydney Dental Hospital and gained my qualification as a Prothetist. My wife and our two kids officially moved back to Coffs 12 months ago, and we don’t intend on leaving this beautiful place! Backhouse Professional Dental is not your average dental practice. What services do you offer that sets you apart from other clinics? We offer everything under the one roof! From general dentistry, implants, orthodontics and orthopaedics to teeth whitening, endodontics, cosmetic dentistry, needleless injections, OPG/cone beam digital X-ray, prosthetics and a visiting periodontist. We also provide specialist treatment of TMJ Joint (The Jaw Joint) clenching and grinding and the latest technology in treatment of sleep apnoea and snoring. Everything is made within the clinic, as we have our own laboratory on site, so we guarantee all products are Australian made and produced locally. We also offer a courtesy vehicle for those that have no transport and offer home visits for denture patients.
70 coffs coast focus.
Dan, the world of dentistry relies heavily the range product would be veneers, and most on the investment in technology. What of Hollywood’s pearly whites would fall into trends are you seeing in your industry? this category. More and more young adults, Everything in dentistry requires a heavy ineven teenagers, are enquiring about what’s vestment if you’re going to offer quality service out there, largely influenced by fashion and and products. Too many dentists these days are Hollywood seeking out the perfect white smile. going for the cheaper option in technology and Othodontics and othopedics have always been products, which results in denture and crown popular with young people; however, the trend work being sent overseas to Asia to be made at currently is that anyone of any age is opting for a quarter of the cost in Australia. The down side straighter teeth through banding (clear braces) of this practice is getting a low quality prodor Invisalign, which is a succession of clear uct and not passing on the relative retainers. discount to the patient. The What aspect of dentistry do other concern is the manuyou find the most chalfacturing of implants lenging? ue in and cosmetic dentistry The most challengnt co u yo If u yo overseas. This high-risk t ing aspect of working ha w do to , ne practice has been covin dentistry is definitely do s ay w have al to ered extensively on TV, educating the public on ue in nt co you’ ll demonstrating what oral health and the imve u’ yo t get wha can go wrong and the portance of keeping your !” en tt go s alway costly situation of trying teeth and mouth healthy. to rectify the problem. Unfortunately, it is like the Trends and advances in saying, “Out of sight out orthodontics are constantly of mind”. When people have moving forward, making it much something visibly wrong with them, easier for people to get the perfect smile. they will attend to it immediately; howThe materials used in crowns and bridges ever, when it is in the mouth and not clearly are also advancing, resulting in better visible, they tend to put it off until it becomes quality products for patients. The other two big an issue, usually resulting in pain or discomfort. changes have been in teeth whitening and in We recommend to all our patients to attend on the last five years, snoring and sleep apnoea a 6 or 12 monthly basis for routine cleaning apappliances. pointments, which guarantees good oral health Cosmetic dentistry, like teeth whitening and identifying any treatments required at an and veneers, is becoming more popular for early stage. appearance improvements – tell us a little What changes have you seen in dentistry bit about this trend and what services are over the last 10 years? available? Definitely the diagnosis and treatment of Cosmetic dentistry has a very wide range of clenching and grinding disorders, coupled with products. Teeth whitening starts with tooththe involvement of the dentist to treat sleep paste, gels in mouthguards and all the way to apnoea and snoring disorders. These problems in-chair bleaching by the dentist. The top of have gone ignored by people for some time
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now; however, education on these important problems is now available to the public from Backhouse Professional Dental. Sleep apnoea machines have been widely available to the public through a variety of sources, but because these machines are often awkward to use, noisy and lacking visual appeal, the ongoing patient usage is less than 30%. We can provide patients with a slim line appliance as an attractive alternative to these cumbersome machines. These appliances are not only designed to help with snoring and sleep apnoea, but can address grinding and clenching, which are also associated with these disorders. You have quite an established practice locally – what’s next for Backhouse Professional Dental? We have been in business for 46 years in Coffs Harbour, at the same location, and we have invested a lot of hard work over the last two years promoting our practice to the community. We are a highly-regarded practice that everyone can afford to come to and receive high-quality dentistry services. Furthermore, with our expanded services we can now cover all aspects of dentistry under the one roof, which is convenient and comforting to patients. The next big project for Backhouse Professional Dental is to establish new premises in the near future – so stay tuned for more details! What was the best piece of advice you have received? I’ve spent a lot of my early years as an elite sportsperson, and over that time had many coaches ... but there was one coach whom I’ll always remember, who used to quote to me: “If you continue to do what you’ve always done, you’ll continue to get what you’ve always gotten”. I think this is one of the best pieces of advice that I have received and an outlook that I’ve used in all aspects of my life. Thanks Dan.